You will probably be surprised that there is a Volkswagen pickup truck on US soil. Yes, it’s true. It’s called the VW Atlas Tanoak Concept. But before you get too excited, VW has said that it is not planning to bring this model to production.

CEO of Volkswagen North American Region, Hinrich Woebcken, even made it clear that he is not interested in selling a truck in the United States market. Last month in Chicago, during a roundtable interview, he told reporters that the full size truck market in the country is too loyal to their brands that a newcomer is unlikely to make an impact.

Meanwhile, the midsized truck segment will just not work for VW when it comes to sales as the volume is too low. The automaker sees the potential to grow in the segments it is currently in. Unfortunately, pickups are not on the list.

In recent news, we have been hearing that Volkswagen’s next plan for their SUV lineup is a two-row, five seater version of the Atlas. The automaker then confirmed that the model will be built at their Chattanooga, Tennessee plant and that we should expect a concept version of it at the 2018 New York Auto Show later this month. At the moment of writing, the automaker has not given the new model a name, so it currently is being referred to as an “Atlas variant”.

Volkswagen’s desire to offer a wider range of SUVs in the US market was never a secret to the public. In fact, there had been reports about this late last year. In addition to that, we also heard during Chicago Auto Show that Volkswagen is planning on adding two more SUVs to join the Atlas and the Tiguan.

Now, speaking of the new VW SUV, it will probably have the same base as the Atlas and the Tiguan. Meaning that it will also sit on the MQB modular chassis. The company also added that this particular model was specifically designed and engineered to fit the United States specs. When you look closely at the teaser image, the design language simply matches the regular Atlas, with its wide horizontal grille and rectangular headlights on both ends.

2018 Volkswagen Atlas is proving to be one of the German carmaker’s best-selling vehicles in the United States after having recently logged a full month of sales in the market. And that’s despite the fact that even some of its own designers weren’t really satisfied with its supposed boring blocky design.

But now, the US consumers have spoken and seemingly vouch for the appeal of the new 2018 VW Atlas. For the month of June 2017 alone, VW sold 27,377 vehicles in the US. That number may seem small, but it already exceeded the 23,809 units sold by VW in the same month in 2016. Of the 27,377 vehicles that VW sold in the US, 2,413 units were of the new Atlas. That means nearly one of 11 vehicles (8.8 percent) that the carmaker has delivered to customers in the country is an Atlas SUV.

To note, June 2017 marks the first full month of sales for the 2018 VW Atlas. This implies that it could be too early to determine whether the new Atlas would have a definite impact on VW’s falling SUV sales in the US. Although signs for the Atlas are positive, VW’s other SUV offerings aren’t performing well in terms of sales. In fact, only 14 percent of VW’s total sales in the first half of 2017 were utility vehicles, which should be weird considering that SUVs are now in high demand in this part of the world.

Some people like their food with extra spice, while some don’t. It’s similar to how some people are happy with a factory model car, but some just can’t get enough of what’s already there. Naples Speed recently fitted a set of VFS2 wheels on Volkswagen’s largest SUV ever built, the Atlas. And even with a set of 21-inch Vossen wheels, they look totally fine, and far from oversized.

If you look at it from afar, you would think that they are just regular wheels that the company itself has installed. The wheels have a classic multi-spoke design that just fits the design of the Atlas. Having said that, there will always be people who will disagree. For instance, the unnamed VW designer who said that it looked like a 2012 Ford seen at the LA Auto Show.

In America, Volkswagen is known to produce compact cars that are practical and economical. Their cars were either fun to drive or nice to look at. But the company felt that their strategy was not working, so they came out with the Atlas, their large, dull, and not so pretty SUV.

Volkswagen officially released the final base price of the 2018 Atlas. With a starting price of $30,500, is this SUV worth the green dollar bills? Let's find out, shall we?

Volkswagen declared at the Detroit Auto Show last January that the 2018 Atlas would bear a price tag in the range of $30,000 -- and now the starting price has indeed been made official. The Atlas will have 5 options: Atlas S, Atlas SE, Atlas SE with technology, Atlas SEL, and Atlas SEL Premium.

For the $30,500 price tag, you can acquire the entry level Atlas S-built with a 2.0 L TSI engine and a front wheel drive layout, but sadly you would have to wait as it won't be made available immediately. Even though the Atlas S is considered as the cheapest of the Atlas line-up, it is still jam-packed with a bundle of goodies of standard equipment that includes LED headlights with LED daytime running lights, rear view camera, stainless steel roof rails, and 18 inch alloy wheels.

The new Volkswagen Atlas SUV isn’t due to arrive at dealerships in the United States until spring of this year. Quite a number of people are also excited to get their hands on VW’s new three-row SUV, and that excitement has been further fueled by the special edition of the VW Atlas.

This special version of the Atlas -- the VW Atlas Weekend Edition – will be unveiled to the public at the 2017 Chicago Auto Show. No, the Atlas Weekend Edition is not a new trim, but rather, it is a show car intended to highlight how customers could dress up their new Atlas SUVs with the new available accessories.

Of course, we won’t stop you from loving the Atlas Weekend Edition, but keep in mind that this version is pretty much achievable, especially if you have loads of cash from your account.

It’s like building a Volkswagen with your own hands. Happening this week at the 2017 Chicago Auto Show, Volkswagen travels back and forth between the past and the future with its miniature cityscape. With up to 20,000 pieces of Lego bricks specially built for the event, the company wishes to take its audience on a brief, yet sentimental journey.

Since the scale models are meant to showcase the brand’s evolution of design, the German automaker arrives at the event with a custom-built 2-ft x 3.5 ft Lego diorama featuring the vintage Microbus as well as the latest 7-seater Atlas crossover.

With a nice city as its backdrop, the scale models will surely catch the attention of children and adults that are attending the auto show. The diorama consists of road, modern buildings and trees ---representing “The Volkswagen Journey” throughout the decades.

Months from now, Volkswagen will commence sales of its new Atlas SUV (2018 model year) in the United States. But as early as now, the German carmaker is making sure that it would be able to attract more customers for the new Atlas by disclosing that a performance-inspired R-Line package is up for grabs for its latest SUV.

This new trim will be available to the SE and SEL models of the 2018 VW Atlas, effectively enhancing their appearance both inside and out. The overall effect would be an Atlas that looks more dynamic and sportier than a typical model. Exterior enhancements packed in the R-Line trim include the fitment of distinct bumpers -- with integrated air intakes at the front bumper and a glossy black diffuser on the rear bumper.

Further exterior details include new side skirts, 20-inch aluminum-alloy twin-spoke wheels and R-Line badging. Interior improvements, meanwhile, come with an R-Line steering wheel clip as well as stainless-steel sport pedal covers. As soon as the driver starts up the SUV, the Modular Infotainment Platform (MIB II) infotainment system lights up with R-Line logo.

Volkswagen revealed that in order to continue the success it has been facing in the U.S. market, it will need to focus more on sports utility vehicles and crossovers. This is, of course, in addition to exerting more effort to get the public to increase their trust in the brand. That said, the brand is expected to release to the U.S. the much-awaited Atlas this spring with the long-wheelbase Tiguan to follow later. Both models made their debuts at the 2017 North American International Auto Show in Detroit.

In line with this, Volkswagen disclosed that the base version of the Atlas will be priced at $30,000. This is the same variant that will be equipped with the turbocharged four-cylinder 2.0-liter and have the front-wheel drive.

Officials at brand added, without revealing too much, that the top range of the Atlas is estimated to cost about $48,000. Most likely, this refers to the SEL version which comes with the all-wheel drive, fitted with the V6 engine, and equipped with a number of new features. Volkswagen, however, did not say whether this will also be the price for the R-Line trim, which like the two models mentioned earlier, was presented during the current Detroit Auto Show.

After years of development and spending at least $900-million, Volkswagen’s Chattanooga factory will finally start the production of the much-awaited VW Atlas. Dubbed as the ”boldest vehicle“ sold in the US, the 2018 VW Atlas is in fact also the largest MQB-based model by Volkswagen. Above all, the 7-seater SUV will come with a starting price that is sure to threaten Toureg’s $49,495 pricetag.

The series production has started on Wednesday at VoA’s Tennessee factory. Volkswagen invested over $900-million to enhance the existing facilities and increase the production space by at least twenty six percent (or equivalent to 665,000 square foot). Since this expansion was basically intended for the Atlas, an additional workforce has been needed along the line.

From 2,400 employees, the Chattanooga factory now has 2,800 workers. VW also suggests that these numbers will likely increase as the level of production requires. Hinrich Woebcken, CEO for VW North America recounts how the Atlas has been designed for the US. He’s obviously delighted about the fact that the “big” SUV is now being manufactured locally.

The Volkswagen Atlas is yet to be sold in the US but it does look like the company is already preparing to expand its client base. As earlier reported, Volkswagen of America will be exporting the big SUV to Russia and will be using an exclusive 2.0 litre 4-cylinder diesel for its engine. This was revealed during the press interview at the Los Angeles Auto Show with Juergen Stackmann. When asked to comment whether the Atlas is going to be sold in Western Europe, Stackmann stated that the company has been eyeing Russia.

At the same event, Volkswagen’s head for Sales and Marketing also mentioned that they are considering other countries. But no other country has been specifically named afterwards. Instead, the Atlas will also be available in China beginning next year under the name Teramont. It is also believed that the Teramont will be slightly modified for its market. Considering this, Volkswagen has already confirmed that the particular model will be assembled locally in China and will not come from the US.

The Atlas was actually inspired by the CrossBlue concept three years before. Like this, it was created with Volkswagen’s MQB modular design platform. In fact, Audi A3 and Volkswagen Golf have been using the same platform as well. All these years, Volkswagen has picked out names that start with the letter T for its mid-size SUVs.

Boring. This was how a designer from German carmaker Volkswagen described one of its newest offerings – the new Volkswagen Atlas SUV. VW unveiled the Atlas at the 2016 Los Angeles Auto Show in November, saying that this new mid-size crossover – slotted between the compact Tiguan and upmarket Touareg – is created and designed to appease customers in the United States. Would that really be the case?

In a conversation with The Truth About Cars during the LA Auto Show, this unnamed VW designer quipped that the VW Atlas is visually boring, with a design that is four years old. He also compared the new Atlas to a Ford vehicle from the 2012 model year.

Visually, the 2018 VW Atlas has its own appeal. Apparently, VW doesn’t want its new SUV to be too aggressive in terms of design. Rather, the VW Atlas, as head of VW Design Klaus Bischoff out it, should look substantial, with a styling that would age well and would go out of fashion in the next two to three years. But for this certain VW designer at the LA Auto Show, the design of the Atlas has been out of style for four years. If there is anything that VW could really be targeting, it could the tendency of American buyers to opt for vehicles offering generous interior space.

When Volkswagen unveiled the VW Atlas, it declared that this SUV is being developed for the United States and is set to arrive as a 2018 model. It also unveiled its Chinese version – the VW Teramont. Essentially, VW developed the Atlas to further penetrate the auto markets in the US and China. But now, it seems VW is seriously considering selling the new SUV in some markets in Europe.

To note, the German carmaker has already disclosed it would sell the Atlas – powered by a diesel engine -- in Russia, confident that this SUV would be popular in the country. However, selling the Atlas in other parts of Europe is another thing. Before doing so, VW has to carefully study first if bringing the Atlas to European markets is worth it. Elmar-Marius Licharz, the chief for full-size product lines at VW, told Autocar that the smaller Touareg SUV might be a better product offering for most of the markets in Europe because of its size.

Underpinned by VW’s Modular Transverse Matrix architecture, or MQB, the 2018 VW Atlas employs the brand’s current design language. It measures 198.3 inches in length, 77.9 inches in width and 69.6 inches in height – making it much larger (plus 121 mm longer, 38 mm wider and 35 mm taller) than the Touareg. In fact, the 2018 VW Atlas is the largest SUV from the company to be built in the US. However, Licharz noted that the new Atlas might be too big to be parked in many European garages. Because of its large size, there is a need to determine first if there would be any demand for the Touareg in certain markets in Europe.

For German carmaker Volkswagen, the 2018 model year will herald a new milestone as it widens its offering to include its largest sports utility vehicle yet in the United States, with a counterpart in another sweet market in the world, China.

The new seven-seater Volkswagen Atlas SUV – its Chinese version will be dubbed as Volkswagen Teramont -- will play a big role in VW’s attempt to regain the confidence of customers in the US following its so-called diesel-gate scandal in which regulators have found out that a software could cheat emissions tests. Just a second after the typical duration of emissions test, the software allows for the production of higher amounts of nitrogen oxide.

VW spent nearly four years to develop the Atlas/Teramont, which allows it to further penetrate the lucrative SUV segment in North America and the ever-growing auto market in China. It was developed to feature a muscular look inspired by the CrossBlue concept first unveiled in 2013.

Volkswagen is opening a new chapter in its American history with the unveiling of the 2018 Volkswagen Atlas. With space large enough to fit seven passengers and equipped with top-of-the-line technology, the new model continues to have the signature driving dynamics the brand is famous for and even shows the attention to detail seen in previous models. In addition, its price is sure to attract many customers.

2018 Atlas is manufactured at the company’s facility located in Tennessee, the same plant that builds the new Passat.

New 2018 Volkswagen Atlas will be exhibited during the 2016LA Auto Show starting on November 18.